Shake Panel and Method for Forming a Shake Surface

ABSTRACT

A shake panel is disclosed having a flexible underlayment layer having a leading edge, an opposite a trailing edge, an upper edge, and an opposite lower edge. A plurality of shakes are provided, each shake having an upper portion affixed to the underlayment layer and a lower portion extending toward the underlayment layer lower edge, each shake extending side-by-side along an adjacent shake to define a keyway space therebetween. In a method for forming a shake surface, a first shake panel is secured to the surface with the leading edge adjacent a leading edge of the surface and the lower edge adjacent a lower edge of the surface. A second shake panel is secured to the surface with the second layer leading edge overlaying the first shake panel trailing edge adjacent a trailing edge of the shakes of the first shake panel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/765,335, filed on Feb. 15, 2013, which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The invention relates to roofing and siding shakes, and more particularly to a shake panel which allows for speedy and convenient installation of multiple shakes on a surface.

2. Description of the Related Art

Wooden shingles, commonly known as either “wood shakes” or “wood shingles,” have traditionally been used for roofing and siding applications around the world. A roof or exterior wall surface fabricated from properly installed shakes provides long lasting weather protection to a building, as well as a rustic aesthetic. However, traditional wood shakes are considerably more difficult to install than many other modern weatherproofing systems. Specifically, traditional wood shake installation involves the fastening of individual wood shakes to a surface in overlapping rows or “courses,” typically via nails driven through each shake at an upper end thereof. Each shake must be carefully selected for the proper width to assure a proper keyway space on adjacent overlapping courses. As used herein, a “keyway space” is the gap created on each side of abutting shakes in a course. Once a course is complete, the next course is applied on top of the last, with a typical exposure length of approximately 10 inches for a 24-inch long shake and approximately 7.5 inches for an 18-inch long shake. However, exposure can range from 4 inches to as much as 16 inches.

According to certain building codes, the keyway spaces in the sides of adjacent shakes must be offset by at least a certain distance (for example, 1.5 inches in certain building codes) from those of the courses above and below. Thus, selecting the proper width of a shake to be applied in a course is often difficult, and can in some instances be subject to trial and error. For example an installer may be required to inspect multiple random width shakes to find the shake that is the desired width. If a shake that is too narrow or too wide is applied to a course, the keyway space on one side of the shake may be too close to an adjacent keyway space of an adjacent course.

Desirably, wood shakes are produced to exhibit a vertical grain cut for stability, combined with the maximum possible width to reduce the number of shakes per unit of roof area. Thus, wood shakes have traditionally been produced from relatively large trees. Over the past several years, old growth Western Red Cedar trees have been popular for use in the production of wood shakes. However, as these old growth trees have become protected for environmental reasons, younger and smaller trees have been used for wood shake production. The result has been a reduction, over the past several years, of the average width of wood shakes typically produced. For example, many wood shakes produced approximately 20 years ago exhibited an average width of approximately 7 to 8 inches. Today, many newly-produced wood shakes exhibit an average width closer to 4.5 to 5 inches. This decrease in the average width of wood shakes results in an increase in the average number of shakes per unit area installed. For example, instead of wood shake roofs including approximately 180 shakes per 100 square feet of roof area, it is now common for a wood shake roof to include approximately 280 shakes per 100 square feet of roof area.

In instances in which wood shake roofs are installed having an increased number of shakes per unit area of roof, a corresponding increase in the time and labor required to install the roof and properly offset the keyway space occurs. Furthermore, when wood shake roofs are installed having an increased number of shakes per unit area of roof, a significant increase also occurs in the number of wood shakes that are installed improperly, for example, with keyways too narrow and leaks eminent. The effect is a decrease in the overall market for wood shakes due to the increase in installation labor cost and an increase in the level of skill and care required to properly install wood shakes.

In a typical wood shake roof or exterior wall surface installation, in addition to the shakes themselves, a layer of felt is applied between each horizontal course of shakes, thereby creating a felt interweave between adjacent courses of shakes. Many modern building codes require adjacent pieces of felt to overlap by a minimum distance, such as for example 4 inches. In traditional roofing, asphalt saturated felt paper is used. However, synthetic felt products are now available that replace the historic asphalt saturated felt paper traditionally used in roofing. These synthetic felt products are considerably more durable and require less energy and petroleum additives to manufacture and are available with certain fire resistant qualities to reduce the overall flammability of the roof system.

In light of the above, there is a need in the art for a device which allows more speedy and convenient installation of wood shakes in overlapping courses along a surface, and with proper installation of felt beneath.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present general inventive concept provides a shake panel which combines synthetic felt underlayment with enhanced wood shake manufacturing and assembly techniques to significantly reduce the installation time associated with fabricating a shake surface, as compared to the traditional process of selecting the proper width of shakes and separately installing the required felt interweave. In addition to substantial labor savings associated with in increase speed of installation, the pre-assembled panel system significantly reduces the likelihood of certain critical errors such as overlapping keyway spaces, improper placement of the interweave and improper exposure, all of which substantially reduce the service life of wood shake and shingle roofs. According to several features of the present general inventive concept, the shake panel may comprise a flexible underlayment layer having a leading edge, an opposite a trailing edge, an upper edge, and an opposite lower edge. A plurality of shakes may be provided along the underlayment layer, each shake having an upper portion affixed to the underlayment layer and a lower portion extending toward the underlayment layer lower edge. Each shake may extend side-by-side along an adjacent shake to define a keyway space therebetween.

According to several features of the present general inventive concept, in certain embodiments, each shake lower portion may overlie the underlayment layer lower edge, and each shake may have a lower end extending beyond the underlayment layer lower edge. Each shake lower end may terminate at a distance from the underlayment lower edge equal to that of an adjacent shake of the shake panel. In certain embodiments, each of the shakes may be of an equal length to one another. The shakes may extend in side-by-side relationship from the underlayment layer leading edge along the underlayment layer lower edge.

According to several features of the present general inventive concept, in certain embodiments, the underlayment layer trailing edge may extend beyond the plurality of shakes to define a first overlapping portion configured to underlie an underlayment layer leading edge of an adjacent shake panel. The underlayment layer upper edge may extend beyond the plurality of shakes to define a second overlapping portion configured to underlie an underlayment layer lower edge of an overlapping shake panel. In certain embodiments, the shakes of the shake panel may includes shakes having a first width, shakes having a second width, and shakes having a third width. The shakes may be arranged along the underlayment layer lower edge in a predetermined pattern. For example, the predetermined pattern may correspond to the pattern “B-B-A-C-B-A-B-C,” where “A” represents a shake having the first width, “B” represents a shake having the second width, and “C” represents a shake having the third width. In certain embodiments, the first width may be approximately 3.5 inches, the second width may be approximately 4.5 inches, and the third width may be approximately 5.5 inches. However, it is not the intent of the applicant to limit the scope of the present general inventive concept to any specific width of shakes or the number of different widths comprising the panel layout. Different combinations of sizes may be used to vary the desired look of the completed roof or wall. In some instances the panel may be comprised of shakes of a single width with only the starter shake being of variable with to accomplish a very uniform and refined pattern on the roof. Conversely, some panels may be comprised of many different widths with the butt ends, and thus the exposures, staggered to achieve the most rustic appearance.

The present general inventive concept also provides a method for forming a shake surface. According to several features of the present general inventive concept, in certain embodiments, the method may comprise the operation of providing a plurality of underlayment layers, each layer having a leading edge, an opposite trailing edge, an upper edge, and an opposite lower edge, each layer further having a plurality of shakes secured thereto, each shake having an upper portion affixed to its corresponding layer and a lower portion extending toward the lower edge of its corresponding layer, wherein each shake of each layer extends side-by-side along an adjacent shake to define a keyway space therebetween. The method may further include the operation of securing a first of the layers to the surface with the first layer leading edge adjacent a leading edge of the surface and the first layer lower edge adjacent a lower edge of the surface, and securing a second of the layers to the surface with the second layer leading edge overlaying the first layer trailing edge adjacent a trailing edge of the shakes of the first layer. The shakes of at least the first and second layers may cooperate to form a first course of shakes extending along the lower edges of the first and second layers.

In certain embodiments, the method may further comprise the operation of securing a third of the layers to the surface with the third layer lower edge overlaying the first layer upper edge, whereby the shakes of at least the third layer cooperate to form a second course of shakes extending along the lower edge of the third layer. The method may further comprise securing a first starter shake to the surface with a leading edge of the first starter shake adjacent a leading edge of the surface, wherein the third layer is secured to the surface with a leading edge of the third layer adjacent a trailing edge of the first starter shake, whereby the first starter shake may cooperate with the shakes of at least the third layer to form a second course of shakes extending along the lower edge of the third layer. In certain embodiments, the first starter shake may be selected to have a width along the lower edges of the layers sufficient to horizontally offset the shakes of the second course from the shakes of the first course such that interfaces between the shakes of the second course do not directly overlie interfaces between the shakes of the first course. The method may further include securing a second starter shake to the surface with a leading edge of the second starter shake adjacent a leading edge of the surface. Additionally, the starter shake can be incorporated into the body of the panel, eliminating the individual starter shakes, but rather creating a panel (A) and a panel (B) to achieve the same result

In certain embodiments, the method may further comprise the operation of securing a fourth of the layers to the surface with the fourth layer lower edge overlaying the third layer upper edge, whereby the second starter shake may cooperate with the shakes of at least the fourth layer to form a third course of shakes extending along the lower edge of the fourth layer. The second starter shake may have a width along the lower edges of the layers different from the width of the first starter shake. The second starter shake may, in certain embodiments, be selected to have a width along the lower edges of the layers sufficient to horizontally offset the shakes of the third course from the shakes of the second course such that interfaces between the shakes of the third course do not directly overlie interfaces between the shakes of the second course. In some embodiments, the method may further include the operation of securing an upper portion of each of the shakes to its corresponding layer with a lower portion of each shake overlying and extending beyond the lower edge of its corresponding layer, with each shake extending side-by-side along an adjacent shake to define a keyway space therebetween.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

These and additional features of the present general inventive concept will become more clearly understood from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a shake panel constructed in accordance with several features of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view showing a central portion of a roof structure with multiple shake panels installed thereon to form a single course of shakes;

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view showing a leading edge portion of a roof structure with multiple shake panels installed thereon to form two courses of shakes;

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded perspective view showing a leading edge portion of a roof structure with multiple shake panels installed thereon to form three courses of shakes.

FIGS. 5A-5F are a series of side-by-side photographs showing a comparison of a prior art method for forming a shake surface (shown in FIGS. 5A, 5C, and 5E) versus one embodiment of a method for forming a shake surface according to several features of the present general inventive concept (shown in FIGS. 5B, 5D, and 5F);

FIGS. 6A-6F are a series of side-by-side photographs which continue to show the comparison of the prior art method for forming a shake surface (shown in FIGS. 6A, 6C, and 6E) versus one embodiment of a method for forming a shake surface according to several features of the present general inventive concept (shown in FIGS. 6B, 6D, and 6F); and

FIGS. 7A-7F are a series of side-by-side photographs which continue to show the comparison of the prior art method for forming a shake surface (shown in FIGS. 7A, 7C, and 7E) versus one embodiment of a method for forming a shake surface according to several features of the present general inventive concept (shown in FIGS. 7B, 7D, and 7F).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to several features of the present general inventive concept, a shake panel is provided which combines synthetic felt underlayment with enhanced wood shake manufacturing and assembly techniques to significantly reduce the installation time associated with fabricating a shake surface, as compared to the traditional process of selecting the proper width of shakes and separately installing the required felt interweave. As illustrated in the attached FIG. 1, in one embodiment, a shake panel 10 includes generally a layer of substantially water-impermeable underlayment 12 defining a leading edge 14, a trailing edge 16, an upper edge 18, and a lower edge 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the underlayment 12 comprises a sheet of flexible material fabricated from a polyethylene/polyurethane blend. However, it will be understood that the underlayment 12 can be fabricated from numerous types of waterproof and/or water resistant flexible sheet materials without departing from the spirit and scope of the present general inventive concept. In addition, non-flammable materials can be used in the system as both a general underlayment or as the interweave material to achieve higher fire resistant classifications in relation to required building codes.

A plurality of shakes 22 are provided and secured to the underlayment 12 in a side-by-side parallel configuration along the lower edge 20 of the underlayment 12 to define at least a partial course 30 (for simplicity, hereinafter referred to as a “course”) of shakes 22 having respective keyway spaces 24 therebetween. Each shake 22 defines an upper end 26 which is fastened to the underlayment 12 by conventional means, such as for example by staples or other suitable mechanical fasteners, adhesives, or the like. Each shake further defines a lower end 28 which extends toward, and in the present embodiment beyond, the lower edge 20 of the underlayment 12. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the shakes 22 is of a substantially equal length, and each shake 22 is aligned in parallel relationship with an adjacent shake 22 such that the shakes 22 all extend a substantially equal length beyond the lower edge 20 of the underlayment 12. In other embodiments, the various shakes 22 may extend different lengths beyond the lower edge 20, such that a lower edge 32 of the course 30 of shakes 22 defines an irregular pattern.

In the illustrated embodiment, the course 30 of shakes 22 extends from the leading edge 14 of the underlayment 12 along the lower edge 20 of the underlayment 12 and terminates along a line which is offset inwardly from the trailing edge 16 of the underlayment 12. Stated differently, the trailing edge 16 of the underlayment 12 extends beyond a trailing edge 34 of the course 30 of shakes 22. Thus, a first overlap portion 36 of the underlayment 12 is defined between the trailing edge 16 of the underlayment 12 and the trailing edge 34 of the course 30 of shakes 22. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the various shakes 22 extends upwardly toward, but terminates inwardly from, the upper edge 18 of the underlayment 12. Thus, a second overlap portion 38 of the underlayment 12 is defined between the upper edge 18 of the underlayment 12 and the various upper ends 26 of the shakes 22.

As shown in FIG. 2, during installation of the shake panel 10 on a surface, such as for example the illustrated roof structure 40, each first overlap portion 36 is adapted to extend beneath a leading edge 14 of a horizontally adjacent shake panel 10. Likewise, each second overlap portion 38 is adapted to extend beneath a lower edge 20 of an overlapping shake panel 10 installed in a subsequent course above the second overlap portion 38. Thus, once several shake panels 10 are installed along the roof structure 40 to form a plurality of continuous courses overlapping one another, each underlayment 12 overlaps an adjacent underlayment 12 of a horizontally adjacent shake panel 10 in a course, and each series of underlayments 12 of a given course of shakes 22 underlies a subsequent series of underlayments 12 installed thereabove in a subsequent course of shakes 22. In several embodiments, the first and second overlap portions 36, 38 are of a sufficient width to ensure sufficient overlap between adjacent underlayments 12 such that the installed shake panels 10 cooperate to form a barrier which is substantially impervious to downwardly-falling liquid, such as for example rain. In other embodiments, the first and second overlap portions 36, 38 are of a sufficient width to allow the installed shake panels 10 to conform to applicable building codes. For example, in several embodiments, the first overlap portion 36 is of a width greater than or equal to approximately 4 inches, while the second overlap portion 38 is of a width greater than or equal to approximately ten 10 inches.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in several embodiments, the shakes 22 forming the course 30 of a single shake panel 10 comprise shakes of varying widths arranged in a pattern to assist in overlying shake panels 10 in subsequent courses such that each keyway space 24 of each course does not immediately underlie an adjacent keyway space 24 of an immediately subsequent course. For example, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the shakes 22 forming the course 30 of a single shake panel 10 comprise shakes having a first width “A”, shakes having a second width “B”, and shakes having a third width “C”. In the illustrated embodiment, the first-width shakes “A” are approximately 3.5 inches in width, the second width shakes “B” are approximately 4.5 inches in width, and the third width shakes “C” are approximately 5.5 inches in width. However, it is not the intention of the applicant to limit the scope of the present general inventive concept to any specific width of the shakes 22. Accordingly, one of skill in the art will recognize other widths of shakes 22 which may be used to accomplish the present general inventive concept.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the shakes 22 forming the course 30 of each shake panel 10 are arranged according to a given pattern. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, a first shake 22 a having a width corresponding to the second width “B” is provided along the leading edge 14 of the underlayment 12. A second shake 22 b having a width corresponding to the second width “B” is provided inwardly adjacent the first shake 22 a, such that a keyway space 24 having a width of approximately ¼ inch is provided between the adjacent shakes 22 a, 22 b. Sequentially inwardly adjacent thereto, a third shake 22 c is provided having a width corresponding to the first width “A,” a fourth shake 22 d is provided having a width corresponding to the third width “C”, a fifth shake 22 e is provided having a width corresponding to the second width “B,” a sixth shake 22 f is provided having a width corresponding to the first width “A,” a seventh shake 22 g is provided having a width corresponding to the second width “B,” and an eight shake 22 h is provided having a width corresponding to the third width “C.” In other words, the shakes 22 forming the course 30 of each shake panel 10 are arranged, from the leading edge 14 toward the trailing edge 16, having respective widths corresponding to the pattern, “B-B-A-C-B-A-B-C.” It will be recognized by one of skill in the art that other patterns may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present general inventive concept.

With reference now to FIGS. 2-4, according to several embodiments of the present general inventive concept, a method is provided for installing a set of shake panels 10 on a surface 40, such as for example a roof surface, to form a shake surface. According to one embodiment, a first course 42 of shakes is installed by first securing a starting shake panel 10 a adjacent a lower edge 44 of the surface with the leading edge 14 of the shake panel 10 adjacent a leading edge 46 of the surface 40. Thereafter, subsequent shake panels 10 b-10 c are secured to the surface adjacent to the starting shake panel 10 a to form the first course 42 of shakes, with each leading edge 14 of a subsequent shake panel in the first course 42 of shakes overlying a first overlap portion 36 of a previous shake panel 10 in the first course 42 of shakes, such that a continuous first course 42 of shakes is formed from the shakes 22 forming the individual shake panels 10 a-10 c in first course 42 of shakes. In certain embodiments, prior to installation of the first course 42 of shakes, one or more sheets of underlayment material may optionally be installed along the surface 40 to improve thermal insulation qualities, fire resistance, and/or water resistance of the surface 40.

Once the first course 42 of shakes is installed, a second course 48 of shakes is installed in overlying relationship to, and offset above, the first course 42 of shakes. The second course 48 of shakes is positioned such that a lower end 28 of each shake 22 in the second course 48 overlaps an upper end 26 of at least one shake in the first course 42. In one embodiment, the second course of shakes is begun by first securing a single starter shake 22 i to the surface, the first starter shake 22 i having a leading edge overlying the leading edges 46, 14 of the surface 40 and the starting shake panel 10 a in the first course 42 of shakes. Thereafter, a second starter shake panel 10 d is secured adjacent the first starter shake 22 i, with the leading edge of the shake panel 10 d adjacent a trailing edge of the first starter shake 22 i such that an appropriately sized keyway gap 24 is formed therebetween. Thereafter, subsequent shake panels 10 e-10 f are secured to the surface adjacent to the second starter shake panel 10 d, as discussed above, to form the second course 48 of shakes.

It will be recognized by one of skill in the art that inclusion of the starter shake 22 i at the leading edge of the second course 48 of shakes serves to horizontally offset each of the shakes in the second course 48 of shakes in relation to the shakes of the first course 42 of shakes. To this end, in several embodiments, the width of the starter shake 22 i is such that each of the various keyway spaces 24 of the first and second courses of shakes do not immediately overlie or underlie one another. In some embodiments, a variety of starter shakes 22 i-22 j are provided having varying widths, such that as each subsequent course of shakes is installed, a starter shake 22 i, 22 j may be used which has a width different from the starter shake used in the previous course of shakes, such that the keyway spaces 24 of each course of shakes do not immediately overlie the keyway spaces 24 of the previous course of shakes. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, a second starter shake 22 j is provided for formation of a third course of shakes on the surface 40. In the illustrated embodiment, the first starter shake 22 i has a width of approximately 4 inches, while the second starter shake 22 j has a width of approximately 5.75 inches. However, it is not the intention of the applicant to limit the scope of the present general inventive concept to such dimensions. Accordingly, it will be recognized that starter shakes embodying other dimensional widths may be provided without departing from the spirit and scope of the present general inventive concept.

In one embodiment of the method of the present general inventive concept, a first course 42 of shakes may be installed (FIG. 2) with no initial starter shake, and a second course 48 of shakes may be installed (FIG. 3) with a starter shake 22 i having a first width as discussed above. Thereafter, a third course of shakes may be installed (FIG. 4) with a second starter shake 22 j having a second width provided overlying the leading edge 14 of the first starter shake 22 i and the leading edge 46 of the surface 40. A third starter shake panel 10 g may be secured adjacent the second starter shake 22 j, with the leading edge of the shake panel 10 g adjacent a trailing edge of the second starter shake 22 j such that an appropriately sized keyway gap 24 is formed therebetween. Thereafter, subsequent shake panels (not shown) may be secured to the surface adjacent to the third starter shake panel 10 g, as discussed above, to form the third course of shakes. Thereafter, this pattern may be repeated until the entire surface 40 is covered with courses of shakes, thereby forming a shake covered surface in which each of the keyway spaces 24 is offset from adjacent keyway spaces 24 of immediately subsequent and previous courses.

From the foregoing description, it will be recognized that a shake panel is provided which allows a shake surface to be fabricated with significantly reduced time and effort as compared to the traditional process of selecting the proper width of shakes and separately installing the required felt interweave. For example, FIGS. 5A-7F are a series of photographs showing a side-by-side, time-lapsed installation of a series of shakes on a roof surface using a prior art method for forming a shake surface (shown in FIGS. 5A, 5C, 5E, 6A, 6C, 6E, 7A, 7C, and 7E) versus installation of a plurality of shake panels 10 using one embodiment of a method for forming a shake surface according to several features of the present general inventive concept (shown in FIGS. 5B, 5D, 5F, 6B, 6D, 6F, 7B, 7D, and 7F). In the demonstration shown in FIGS. 5A-7F, a traditional wood shake surface comprising individual wood shakes was installed on the roof surface by two installers in approximately 90 minutes, while a wood shake surface comprising a plurality of shake panels 10 of the type described above was installed on the roof surface by two installers in approximately 45 minutes. Thus, it is clear that the shake panel and associated method described herein provide significant advantages over the prior art.

It will be recognized that, by collating the sizes in a specific pattern and assembling the shakes in a panel with the required underlayment interweave, shake panels 10 of the type described above can be fabricated in 36-inch to 48-inch panels that automatically provide the proper offset in the keyway spaces 24 between shakes and significantly reduce the most tedious and technically critical part of installing a wood shakes for roofing or siding. For example, in a test installation conducted at Savannah Technical College using shake panels of the type described above, installation labor was reduced by 75% and the quality of the installation was improved as compared to traditional shake installation operations. Thus, it will be recognized that the present general inventive concept provides numerous advantages over the prior art, such as for example: 1. Eliminating the need to sort and select shakes of a certain width to “fit” the keyways, and reducing the potential for installation mistakes that may lead to leaks in the shake surface; 2. Allowing shakes to be laid in place in prearranged panels, thereby significantly reducing the time required to install the shakes; 3. Eliminating the need to roll out a layer of underlayment between installation of each course of shakes, and reducing the potential for such underlayment to be installed incorrectly; and 4. Allowing the use of smaller trees, which are more readily available, as a source of raw material and simultaneously reducing labor cost and material cost.

While the present invention has been illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments have been described in detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept. 

Having thus described the aforementioned invention, what is claimed is:
 1. A shake panel comprising: a flexible underlayment layer having a leading edge, an opposite a trailing edge, an upper edge, and an opposite lower edge; and a plurality of shakes, each said shake having an upper portion affixed to said underlayment layer and a lower portion extending toward said underlayment layer lower edge, each said shake extending side-by-side along an adjacent shake to define a keyway space therebetween.
 2. The shake panel of claim 1, each said shake lower portion overlying said underlayment layer lower edge, and each said shake having a lower end extending beyond said underlayment layer lower edge.
 3. The shake panel of claim 2, each said shake lower end terminating at a distance from said underlayment lower edge equal to that of an adjacent shake of said shake panel.
 4. The shake panel of claim 3, each of said shakes being of an equal length to one another.
 5. The shake panel of claim 1, said plurality of shakes extending in side-by-side relationship from said underlayment layer leading edge along said underlayment layer lower edge.
 6. The shake panel of claim 5, said underlayment layer trailing edge extending beyond said plurality of shakes to define a first overlapping portion configured to underlie an underlayment layer leading edge of an adjacent shake panel.
 7. The shake panel of claim 6, said underlayment layer upper edge extending beyond said plurality of shakes to define a second overlapping portion configured to underlie an underlayment layer lower edge of an overlapping shake panel.
 8. The shake panel of claim 1, wherein said plurality of shakes comprise shakes having a first width, shakes having a second width, and shakes having a third width.
 9. The shake panel of claim 8, said shakes being arranged along said underlayment layer lower edge in a predetermined pattern.
 10. The shake panel of claim 9, said predetermined pattern corresponding to the pattern “B-B-A-C-B-A-B-C,” where “A” represents a shake having said first width, “B” represents a shake having said second width, and “C” represents a shake having said third width.
 11. The shake panel of claim 10, wherein said first width is approximately 3.5 inches, said second width is approximately 4.5 inches, and said third width is approximately 5.5 inches.
 12. A method for forming a shake surface, said method comprising the operations of: a. providing a plurality of underlayment layers, each layer having a leading edge, an opposite trailing edge, an upper edge, and an opposite lower edge, each layer further having a plurality of shakes secured thereto, each shake having an upper portion affixed to its corresponding layer and a lower portion extending toward the lower edge of its corresponding layer, wherein each shake of each layer extends side-by-side along an adjacent shake to define a keyway space therebetween; b. securing a first of the layers to the surface with the first layer leading edge adjacent a leading edge of the surface and the first layer lower edge adjacent a lower edge of the surface; and c. securing a second of the layers to the surface with the second layer leading edge overlaying the first layer trailing edge adjacent a trailing edge of the shakes of the first layer; whereby the shakes of at least the first and second layers cooperate to form a first course of shakes extending along the lower edges of the first and second layers.
 13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the operation of securing a third of the layers to the surface with the third layer lower edge overlaying the first layer upper edge, whereby the shakes of at least the third layer cooperate to form a second course of shakes extending along the lower edge of the third layer.
 14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the operation of securing a first starter shake to the surface with a leading edge of the first starter shake adjacent a leading edge of the surface, wherein the third layer is secured to the surface with a leading edge of the third layer adjacent a trailing edge of the first starter shake, whereby the first starter shake cooperates with the shakes of at least the third layer to form a second course of shakes extending along the lower edge of the third layer.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first starter shake is selected to have a width along the lower edges of the layers sufficient to horizontally offset the shakes of the second course from the shakes of the first course such that interfaces between the shakes of the second course do not directly overlie interfaces between the shakes of the first course.
 16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the operation of securing a second starter shake to the surface with a leading edge of the second starter shake adjacent a leading edge of the surface.
 17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the operation of securing a fourth of the layers to the surface with the fourth layer lower edge overlaying the third layer upper edge, whereby the second starter shake cooperates with the shakes of at least the fourth layer to form a third course of shakes extending along the lower edge of the fourth layer.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second starter shake has a width along the lower edges of the layers different from the width of the first starter shake.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second starter shake is selected to have a width along the lower edges of the layers sufficient to horizontally offset the shakes of the third course from the shakes of the second course such that interfaces between the shakes of the third course do not directly overlie interfaces between the shakes of the second course.
 20. The method of claim 19 further including the operation of securing an upper portion of each of the shakes to its corresponding layer with a lower portion of each shake overlying and extending beyond the lower edge of its corresponding layer, with each shake extending side-by-side along an adjacent shake to define a keyway space therebetween. 